LAMIA
“Fuck me, Alpha!” I whispered, and that was all it took.
He growled low and deep before capturing my lips in a hungry and bruising kiss, only pulling away when his hands traveled under my shirt and lifted it from my head. Once gone, he returned his mouth to mine, plunging his tongue in and tasting me. I met him stroke for stroke, as I moaned into the bruising kiss and let my free hand run up his naked chest while the other gripped his hair tightly, pulling him to me hard.
He lifted me by the ass and my legs wrapped around his waist on instinct, his eager lips trailing down my jaw to my collar bone, softly nipping at the skin and finally reaching the hardened bud of my nipple. I gasped when he took the peak into his mouth and sucked. Biting and sucking hard, the pinch of pain only heightened the pleasure and had my pussy weeping.
He threw me on the bed, quickly peeling my leggings from me, and climbed back over me. He greedily sucked in my other nipple, paying it the same attention while harshly kneading the other and rolling the swollen pebble in his fingers. His warm tongue and wet lips trailed down my body to my hip. He stood up and removed his shorts, his cock bouncing free and looking more than ready to play. I leaned up on my elbows and spread my legs wide.
I smirked at him. He knew what I wanted and he wasted no time diving in. His fingers spread my wet folds and I moaned when his tongue licked all the way up and sucked on my clit. Goddess, I shuddered at the pleasure that one act gave me.
He did it again. “Goddess yes!” I groaned and he latched on to my core and plunged his tongue in deep and hard, probing in and out. I began gyrating against his mouth, hands holding his head and pressing him into me as his tongue fucked me. He slipped two fingers in and began pumping while his mouth went back to nipping and sucking my swollen clit. I felt the pressure building when he curled his fingers and found that magic spot. A few more pumps of his fingers and my walls were clenching them tightly. He bit down on my nub hard and I wantonly squealed as my climax came gushing out.
He didn’t stop his assault, lapping up every drop of juice I spilled.
Once I was coming down from my short high, he let up and leaned back, sucking his two fingers clean, and palmed his cock, giving it a few long strokes before rubbing it over my still wet and ready pussy.
He entered me with one hard thrust, “Travis!” I gasped in pleasure and he only stilled for a second before pulling back and harshly ramming back into me with a wicked smile on his face. The room filled with the sounds of his grunts and my moans, in between the rhythmic beating of our skin slapping together.
*****
I awoke in a cold sweat, my forehead and chest beaded with perspiration. I looked over to see if Travis was still in my bed. He was lying on his stomach softly breathing, undisturbed. I sighed and pulled my knees up to my chest, resting my forearms on them. It wasn’t often Travis and I shared a bed but every now and then we allowed each other the comfort we found in one another’s company.
We weren’t in love, it was just purely sexual. It was something that happened one night and became a way for both of us to relieve our stress and tension. It wasn’t a good idea the first time or the second, and it still wasn’t a good idea a year later, but it was something we both needed and something we could only get from each other. There were no expectations, at least not for me and I hoped not from him. I was still hoping the Moon Goddess would grant him a second chance mate, If anyone deserved a second chance, it was Travis. He was the strong, quiet type, but his presence was commanding and his aura demanded respect, a true Alpha in all ways and loyal to me to a fault.
“Nightmares?” his groggy and deep voice grumbled in the dark.
“Something like that, go back to sleep Travis,” I told him.
Yes, I still had nightmares about my time in captivity here and so did he. Almost every night, if it wasn’t the tortuous dreams of bear shifters or the dead rogue king invading my subconscious, it was the repetitive reoccurring dream of the library. The same old story, pun intended, of standing there and pages flying from the books, highlighting different words as they embedded into my mind. But it was neither of those dreams that had me waking up in a cold sweat tonight.
No, tonight it was the steely silver eyes that had penetrated my thoughts and consumed my subconscious with visions of those eyes piercing my soul and burning into me. In my state of dream, those shinning silver orbs had created a heat and yearning for something or someone. Those eyes were hardened, yet alluring, piercing but familiar. And for the past few weeks, that penetrating and lust-filled gaze has consumed my sleep.
I heard soft snores coming from Travis. Not being tired anymore and knowing if I tried to go back to sleep I would just be tossing and turning or better, yet, staring at the ceiling, I decided to get up. I opened my dresser, grabbing a pair of workout shorts and a sports bra. I tugged them on and slipped out of my chambers. It was still dark and dawn wouldn’t be breaking for a few hours, so I headed down the stairs into the corridor and down the flight of stairs until I reached the first floor and side door. Opening it, I was met with crisp cool air. It was certainly getting colder and winters could be rough here. I made my way toward the indoor gym we had built for training. There was nothing better than working out your frustrations by hitting the bag or fucking, and well, I had already fucked Travis and still had some pent-up tension. Besides, I don’t think I could let him fuck me while those eyes were still dominating my thoughts.
The gym was quiet, given the fact I was the only one here, it would be and I got to work pounding on the bag mercilessly, each hit harder than before. I came in here to work off some steam but for some reason, my agitation grew to a higher level every time my fist connected with the sand-filled punching bag. Past memories plagued me, current problems vexing my already seated frustration and trying to work out why my dreams were being consumed by those platinum sexy eyes. Who did they belong to? I was sure I had never seen eyes like that; Eyes that resembled those of a god, framed by thick dark lashes, eyes that called to my very soul.
The creaking of the gym door had my head snapping up just to see Hunji entering.
“My Queen.” He nodded to me.
I stilled the bag and dropped my arms. “You and Travis are the only ones to address me as such. I am not a queen. Not yet.” I said, turning to face him as he came closer.
“That is what you are and it is about time you took that title,” he said with a light growl of agitation. He was the first wolf to pledge his loyalty and life to me, way back before I even knew what I was. He had been a mentor and teacher when I attended the Alpha Academy and followed us back to the kingdom the day we left. Since then, he has always been by my side, and never once has he let me down.
Hunji had always been considered a sort of warrior monk. This is the best way I could describe it. He trained and lived with monks in Bashenstan, harnessing their skills and knowledge. When he fought it was to protect, when he killed it was to protect, never in malice or with ill intent.
He was quiet, a man of little words, brooding, always thinking. He was a worldly person. At the age of 32, he had traveled far and wide and crossed oceans and deserts in a quest for peace. Not world peace, more of a ‘soothe the soul’ type of peace for him and his wolf. I never have learned the whole story, but it was to my understanding that Hunji had a mate who betrayed him by taking another to her bed and refused to reject him, which in turn caused him immense pain and he almost died trying to rip his own heart out. He killed his mate one night when he decided he wanted to live. He forsook the Goddess’ gift when he killed her and would remain mate-less for the rest of his life. It was the first and last time he had killed in hate.
I loved Hunji, he was a big brother of sorts, and I always wondered how he calmly dealt with us pups, as he would call us.
“Hunji, I am not about to proclaim myself a Queen. Doing that would make me no better than these self-proclaimed pompous Alphas, I would be no better than Silas. I will wait until the high council has made their decision and call me to court.” I huffed out.
“You will never be like those bastards, you are so much more Lamia.” His tone softened and he held love in his dark, almost black eyes for me. He sniffed the air “You know you can’t keep this up with him, don’t you?” He said of me and Travis.
“I know” shame lacing my voice “That’s why I have decided to send him to the Pacific Pack and from there he will make his way to Briarshire and maybe this time he will make time to visit his home.”
“For how long?” He asked curiously.
“As long as it takes him,” I replied, shrugging my shoulders. I wasn’t looking to get rid of Travis but Hunji was right, what Travis and I had was becoming too comfortable; at least I thought it was for him. He needed to go home and see his family. He hadn’t been back there since Kira (His dead mate) had tricked him, kidnapped him, and rejected him. That was almost 3 years ago now and his younger brother was getting ready to take his place as Alpha of the pack. Travis had rejected the position, wanting to stay loyal to me and our building empire.
“Did you know King Armand has requested Tawny for an audience?” I asked him cautiously, watching to gauge his reaction.
“Yes,” He gritted and clenched his fist. And not looking me in the eye.
I knew it had broken his heart when she decided to return to the werewolf’s Royal pack to finish school, and I had hoped my best friend would have returned to MacTire after graduating, but the Prince offered her a position as his personal advisor and she accepted, opting to stay at the pack with her father.
I also knew Hunji and Tawny had had a thing at one point but never acted on it and he still held a deep admiration for her. I could never decide who was more disappointed, me or him, that Tawny hadn’t come to stay here. Personally, I miss my best friend. I was in a man’s world and my only friends were men. I guess it just would have been nice to have that female confidant and support around.
“I want you to assemble a team of a dozen of our best were-cat warriors, to accompany her. She is going to pass through here on her way to Armand’s Kingdom and I would be happier knowing she had our Elite fighters with her.” I ordered.
“Do you not think Prince Kellen would send any guards with her?” He cocked his head, a few of his dark strands falling over his eyes.
“Of course, but he would send wolves and the disowned were-cat princess will not and cannot walk into the Camibador kingdom with wolves. They will never allow them to cross the border. And I won’t have her unprotected.” I regarded him for a minute and knew he would only pick the best to escort Tawny.
I began to walk away, when a thought occurred to me, “And no, you cannot go. So don’t even ask” I threw over my shoulder. “My office in two hours please, we have a few things to go over.” I finished and promptly went back to the castle to my suite to shower. Now the sun was up over the horizon. My workout had done little to ease my restless mind and now it was time to begin the day.
Travis had already vacated my room by the time I returned, much to my relief. That was one of the perks of our ‘arrangement’. We never lingered and never expected anything more than the respite our sexual endeavors offered. After showering, I put on a pair of black slacks with a white blouse and black cardigan, pulling on a pair of black boots and braiding my long streaked hair to the side. I hardly ever bothered with makeup, only if we had a formal function or outside visitors. I left my chambers and began making my way down to my office that sat to the side of the throne room.
I walked in and sat behind my desk. This was another room we had gutted and remodeled. Actually, we pretty much remodeled almost every room in the castle, modernizing the internal dated slate walls. I had commissioned Damon’s father to re-plaster every fucking wall in this place and give it a new coat of paint when we had electricity installed in the place. That’s right. This castle was so old there was barely running water, no electricity, and bare stone floors. It was literally a castle out of a medieval history book.
Goddess, we have come a long way in such a short period of time. The north wing had still not been a hundred percent finished. It cost a fortune for all the upgrades and modifications we did. I hardly paid for labor but the materials alone almost wiped me clean. So how did I afford to do all this? Some have asked. Well, luckily for me, I had a huge trust fund from not only my parents but also from the King himself, who was, for all intents and purposes, an uncle. And bit by bit we built this place to the glory it now is. Natural wood covered the floors from top to bottom, the stair halls were carpeted in wine-colored patterned runners, and rooms were adorned with large area rugs, some fully carpeted. Furniture was replaced and bathrooms gutted and rebuilt along with new ones installed.
My office was decked out with a modern light oak desk and a high-back rolling chair. On the other side of the desk sat two black, metal-framed cushioned chairs. In the center was a round table that sat eight and behind that, soft black leather couches that sat in front of the wall. A huge picture sat on the wall, printed in black and white, an aerial view of MacTire’s territory. A gift from Damon, he had taken the picture with one of the drones he had built. And I loved it. On my desk sat several pictures, the first one of me, Kellen, and Mike. This was taken on Mike's eighteenth birthday, back at the academy, before everything had gone to shit. We were all smiling and so happy. The second was a picture of my mom and dad at their mating ceremony. Time had been kind to them and they look just as good now as they did then, with the exception of some grey hairs on my father and his heart condition from the silver poisoning. And they were as much in love as they were then too. The third picture was my favorite and I picked that one up letting my fingers trail over Zane’s handsome face. Tawny had captured this moment, a rare occasion when Zane was letting anyone besides myself see his panty-wetting smile. That day we had been swimming and, as usual, we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. I had jumped on his back playing around in the pool and goofing off. I had my arms wrapped around his neck as I laughed at something he said, he had his head slightly tilted towards mine, but you could see every emotion in his icy blue eyes, all his love, and happiness in that one moment.
“I will always love you” I whispered to his picture before setting it back on the desk. The memories were always hard to swallow; I wondered if I would ever feel the happiness and completeness I had felt with him. Somehow, I doubted it.
Ashe had said I would be fated to another, but it had been over two years now. I was 20 and a widow. I don’t think I really wanted to find another mate anyway. So I was glad in a way. I don’t think I could ever let go of Zane. I could never love another like him.
*Alpha! We have had a breach at the border. We are taking the intruder to the dungeons.* My self-pitying was interrupted by the mind link from border patrol.
*Very well, I will meet you down there in 20 minutes* I replied. There had only been a handful of times that we had had a breach that warranted locking the intruder up.
*Travis, meet me at the dungeons in twenty. We had a breach and they were captured. I’m going to go interrogate.* I reached out linking Travis.
His reply was instant. *Yes my queen, 20 minutes* I rolled my eyes, there was that title Queen again.
Didn’t they get it, I couldn’t be a queen until the high council voted on it, and then the rest of the realm's kings and queens had to vote and approve the official status. I mean I didn’t have to do it this way, but it was the right way and the lawful way. If I just upped and told everyone I was queen, I would never gain any favors amongst the kingdoms. I would essentially just be considered a rogue queen. I would never associate the word rogue with the title of queen. Over my fucking dead body would I ever let them call me that!
LAMIA “What the fuck is wrong with you?” I growled at the now-shaking guard. “Why on earth would you lock a child up in a dungeon? What possible threat could she be?” I was fuming. “I – I’m sorry Alpha, I – I…” The guard stuttered in fear. “You are relieved from your duty, go report to your captain and tell him what you did. Maybe he can smack some sense into you.” I pointed to the stone stairs that lead up to the dungeon doors. He scuttled out of there as quick as lightning. I shook my head, dumbfounded at the idiot. Travis chuckled next to me, “A little harsh, don’t you think?” I scoffed. “Harsh you say? What fucking idiot locks a child up?” I motioned to the tiny figure cowering in the corner of one of our cells. I pressed my thumb against the keypad and the cell door slid open. “Please, please help me, help us Alpha.” The little girl cried. I moved slowly into the cell so as not to scare her any further and took a seat on the floor next to her. Travis stood by the door, he
LAMIA It had been a week since we had discovered the mutilated Clan across the river. It had hit everyone who was there hard and it was an image that was tough to get rid of. There was an unspoken disquietude around MacTire, a wondering of if we would be next. I was confident in our warriors though and assured pack members that if we did fall under attack, they would surely be sorry. It seemed to ease the minds of some but not all. Every time I heard Petra running the halls of the castle, I was reminded of how she had lost her whole life, her family. Sometimes at night, I would wake from my own nightmares to hear her muffled sobs. For a ten-year-old, she was dealing with the aftermath quite well, despite that everything and everyone she had known was gone. I sometimes wondered if the magnitude of what happened to her Clan had really sunk in, but then I would hear her cries in the night and each night I would go to her. Mrs. Brown had become her permanent caretaker, but I felt myself
MATHIAS I took a sip of the dark liquid from my crystal glass, savoring the taste on my tongue before swallowing it and gulping down the rest. I leaned down to set the glass on the table beside me, spying the female I had ruined not 20min ago slumped over my couch passed out, tears still streaked her face from the beating she had taken from my cock. Her small and tight pussy had torn and bled when I fucked her hard and rough chasing my own release. Over and over again. Never feeling satisfied. When her screams of pleasure had turned to painful moans and sobbing and she could take no more of me, passing out while I relentlessly fucked her from behind, I tossed her down, still not finding satisfaction. A better man would have taken pity on her, but not me. Here I stood, in all my glory, looking out of the floor-to-ceiling windows that adorned my penthouse apartment at the top of the casino I owned and mostly lived. The lights from the city far below glistened like twinkling stars. Gi
LAMIA There was a good chill in the air and snow had already begun to settle on the mountaintops. Soon, our lands would be subject to the harsh winter once more, covering the lush greenery with white powder. I could already smell it in the air; a fresh scent that would wash away the crops and freeze the ground, making way for spring and new beginnings. I shifted into my wolf and stalked to where the tree line was, as soon as I was under the cover of the trees I let Inanna take over. ‘Let’s run in beast form’ her excitement coming through. I agreed and she stood up on our hind legs and we morphed into my beast, a form that was more Lycan but still a wolf. In this form, we can run faster, jump higher and see farther. I took off at high speed through the trees, bounding over fallen logs and sporadic rocks. The thrill of running in this form gave me renewed energy. I didn’t often get to let loose as my beast and it was riveting, to say the least. Pack members had often seen me in wolf
LAMIA The tension in my office was high as Rhett recounted his knowledge and findings of the creature that attacked the borough they visited along with a colorful image of the massacred borough they stumbled across. It sounds a little morbid but we began comparing notes on what we discovered with the small bear clan and the mutilated bodies Rhett and his team came across. Luckily, Rhett had the foresight to take pictures as evidence and was able to describe the creature that attacked them in great detail; A lithe humanoid with grey skin, long claws, and muscular legs. He described its face as distorted with deep crimson eyes and pointed teeth, like every one of them was a fang and its nose was almost none existent, just two holes instead of a protruding nasal cavity and its cranium was larger where the brain would sit, and narrowing down to the jaw. What he was describing sounded an awful lot like how humans used to describe aliens way back when they thought they were real. Little g
MATHIAS So here I was three weeks later going back to our prison cells, because of another fucking wolf! This time it was a rogue my men had captured after a small attack rogue wolves had attempted on the outskirts of my territory on a smaller Clan of bears. The last wolf was still fucking sitting there. He was so calm and collected and had an eerie confidence about him. I had decided if he didn’t give us answers he would be sentenced to be executed on the next full moon. Next week was the winter solstice and my Kingdom was holding a celebration, so I had opted for the following full moon. Why a full moon, because werewolves worshiped them so much. They pretty much planned their whole lives around full moons and it would be a kick in the teeth to the Delta wolf we were holding for his death to be held that day. I had been informed that the Delta Wolf had been taking his daily punishment well. I really didn’t like that cocky son of a bitch and, more so, I didn’t like that he refused
LAMIA “So you have no idea what your grandfather wants?” I asked Tawny. She had arrived yesterday shortly before Ria had come home also, and yesterday was a cluster of introductions and being reacquainted with familiar faces. The afternoon and evening had passed by so fast we didn’t get the chance to sit down and have a good chin wag. So after breakfast this morning, we took one of the jeeps out and headed out to the hot springs that were situated in the northern part of our territory, a hidden gem tucked away inside the mountains. We had packed a picnic basket with sandwiches and other snack food, but I also packed a couple of bottles of champagne and orange juice. So that’s what we were doing now, the three of us, Me, Tawny, and Ria, sitting buck naked in one of the pools, drinking mimosas and catching up. “I truly don’t, his Zeta told me he was seeking an audience with me, when I asked why he didn’t call himself, he gave me a half-cocked answer and said ‘the Chief said it was t
LAMIA “Kellen” I sobbed. He was here, he was really here. “Did you think I would leave you alone on one of your most important days?” His tone was light and airy and I could hear the smile behind the words. “I didn’t know, I didn’t think you could come,” I said while pulling away from him so I could look into his comforting ocean-blue eyes. Goddess, how I had missed seeing those blues, “I’m so happy you are here” I admitted, smiling up at him. “Beautiful, I will always be here for you. Now shall we go greet your guests, or do you want to high tail it out of here?” I knew Kellen was joking about getting out of here. Oh, but how I wished I could just escape. “I would love to ‘high tail it’ out of here, alas, I guess I should go mingle and play nice.” I couldn’t help smiling at him. His being here, made my night and with Kellen by my side, I was ready to tackle anything. “How long are you staying for?” I wanted to know how long I had him for, any amount of time was good with me. Th
***Thank you, readers, for your continued support and for taking the roller coaster adventure with me through The Delta's Daughter and Rise of a Queen. *** Without YOU, the readers, this wouldn't have been possible. Please remember to leave me a review, I hope you enjoyed this book. For updates and chapter teasers, check my i*st*gr*m >>> authorjwgstout Or my F_B group for readers >>> Author Jwgstout I ask you to please leave me a review Join me for King Kellen's adventure in the third book: More plot twists, romance, and mythology links coming your way. I hope you enjoy this bonus chapter, a little taste of the upcoming book. ***The Gladiator Wolf King - Book 3 OUT NOW and completed*** ***** The Gladiator Wolf King Chapter 1 – Waking Up KING KELLEN I opened my eyes, a nauseating feeling rose from my stomach right up to my throat. My stomach was sloshing and my vision was blurry. I blinked twice, adjusting my eyes to the dark; the only light was from a low-hanging bul
MIKE One week later “Tobias!” I beamed, both Kellen and I stepping out of the car and handing the keys to the valet as we arrived outside of Kings Casino. I shook Tobias' out-stretched hand and took him in for a bro-hug, then he offered his hand to Kellen, who did the same as me. “Are you boys ready to party?” He asked with a huge smile. “Heck yes!” I replied, my smile equally big. Kellen chuckled and shook his head. “Goddess, what have I agreed to? I’m almost scared of hanging out with both of you.” It was my 21st birthday tomorrow and after hearing Lamia rave about Kings Casino and how she wanted to party here for her 21st, telling Tawny how grand the place was and how much fun it looked, I thought, why not? Mathias had told Tobias we could have his suite for the duration of our stay. We would only be here for two nights and then we would head back to the New Moon kingdom, so Kellen could officially take over as king and we had to organize a coronation. I had suggested to
LAMIA “King, and I have decided to make Riocht our permanent home. I want you to come with me and stay as my second in command.” I watched Hunji, looking for any reaction to what I had just said. His face remained a mask of indifference. “King will be asking Tobias the same thing and leaving Xander in charge of the Kodiak kingdom for now.” Still, there was no reaction. “Hunji, say something, please,” I said softly, still trying to coax a reaction from him. The first sign of any emotion was him pulling his lips into a thin line. “Of course, my Queen.” He nodded. “Really, that’s all you have to say, Hunji?” I huffed and rubbed my forehead with my fingers. “If that’s not what you want, then tell me! Forget the formalities for a moment, will you? Could we just have a conversation as friends?” I took a deep breath; his lack of engagement was irking me. It was just him and I in my office. Mathias was helping train the warriors today with Josiah, and Travis was with Rhett overseeing cha
KELLEN I walked back down to the village, cutting across the fields, ready to go home. My goodbye to Lamia playing on my mind, I know she isn’t mine, but it still doesn’t make me love her any less. I needed to say what I did, and my wolf was in agreement. I have tried to let her go, and I did, for a while. When Zane died, all I wanted to do was be there for her, but she left. She left me. Once upon a time, she told me she would never leave me. I saw the way she looked at King. I chuckled at the thought, even his name is king! The love she held in her eyes for him. I knew Lamia loved, loves, me, but she had never had that look in her eye, not for me and not for Zane. The look of true love. I couldn’t help but give her one last kiss when I went to say goodbye to her. It was amazing how there were still light tingles when I brushed my lips against hers. I reveled in them, for however brief that kiss was. I wasn’t saying good bye, I was letting her go. It was time to let go of my l
1 WEEK LATER LAMIA After the anti-climax of mine and Mathias' crowning, we were still at Riocht. There was so much to organize and we hadn’t even scratched the surface. My father and Uncle Michael had already left for New Moon, taking with them a majority of their army, leaving Kellen and Mike with us and a hand full of Elite warriors. Crimson took the were-cat army home, ready to rebuild their kingdom. The were-cats had suffered the most, more than any other kingdom. Tobias left with the Kodiak Kingdoms army and took a slowly healing Finnegan with them. I was sure he would be thrown in the cells and questioned once he was awake. I didn’t know much about Finnegan Artos, but Petra had taken a liking to him and was very concerned for the violet-eyed were-bear. Hunji stayed behind with me, but Travis and Rhett returned to MacTire with the majority of the army also. And even though Petra wanted to stay, Travis put his foot down, taking her and Xander with them, who was anxious to ge
LAMIA “Why didn’t you heal?” The concern in Mathias' voice was sweet, although he looked annoyed as his eyes raked my body inspecting the wounds on my arms and back, holding on to me for dear life, eliciting little sparks of joy to dance across my skin. I reached out to Inanna ‘Inanna, why didn’t you heal me?’ I was met with silence. I didn’t have an answer for Mathias. I shook my head at Mathias, telling him without words, that I didn’t know. “Where are you hurt?” I questioned him instead. “Nowhere baby, I healed.” He replied after biting his wrist and letting the blood drip onto and into my wounds, allowing them to begin healing immediately. I wasn’t the only one who had blood that could heal, it seems. I took a quick look around, and no one else seemed surprised, but Mike and Travis did give a couple of raised eyebrows. I wasn't sure what their looks were meant to convey, so I just gave them a tight-lipped smile. “Lamia!” My father came rushing to my side; he was wearing one
FINNEGAN 2 Hours before the battle I was tasked to provide the crawlers, who we were able to move up the narrow river in containers on smaller boats, with clothing that had been stolen from the various kingdoms. Orion had spies in every kingdom, sleeper cells, that he used when he needed information or objects. Hence, the clothing we had of Lamia’s and King Kellen’s. The crawlers would hone in on the smell like wild trackers and, once given the command by Orion, would seek out that scent, their only goal: To bring down the owner. Orion and the bitch Shayna had set up a command base inside Riocht’s palace. After throwing in the clothing, I made my way back to the white-washed open squared building. My father wanted to keep me close, in case things went sideways for him and he needed me. What he didn't know, was that no matter the cost, I would help kill him. I scratched the back of my neck, feeling the metal chip underneath my skin that attached to my cervical spine at the base
LAMIA Riocht was beautiful. The palace was built in white limestone. The central rise in the elevation of the building emphasized the main portico, which was framed by five symmetrical exterior arches. On the ledge are statues carved from either marble or the same limestone. Each statue, situated in the arches, was of a god or goddess standing with an animal. There was the Goddess Morrigans, with her wolf by her side, and one of Arcas, who I recognized right away because he was carved standing with a bear, the exact copy of Mathias’ beast. I saw the goddess Bastat, a large puma-looking feline woven around her legs. The one of Selene, the moon goddess, was unlike the one at The New Moon palace. There she was portrayed with a wolf, but here she was carved into a beautiful mother figure, with children by her feet, looking up at her in awe. Next to her was a large man, also with a wolf, regal looking and powerful. Then I saw her, the goddess Inanna. She stood front and center, a large
LAMIA It was now 4 days until Orion’s deadline, four days until the full moon, the day he told us to be at Riocht if we wanted to see Petra alive again. The little girl had been on my mind since the night Orion attacked MacTire. And every time I thought about her, my chest pulled tight. I felt guilty she had been put in this position. She was only ten years old and had already endured so much heartache, she didn’t deserve to be put through this. My eyes pooled with tears as I thought of how unfair and cruel life had been to her. I prayed to the Moon Goddess every night to keep her safe from harm until I had her in my arms. The dirt path we initially had followed was consistent and seemed to be taking us straight to the heart of the lost city. We definitely wouldn’t have been able to get any vehicles through here. Even though the worn road was still visible, it was overgrown with centuries of forestry and shrubs, so thick in some places that we had to cut them down using our swords